Petrie’s Restaurant is the local historic landmark etched onto this year’s Fond du Lac Christmas ornament, sold through the Soroptimist Chapter

FOND DU LAC - As the oldest dining establishment in Fond du Lac County, Petrie’s Restaurant was located at 84 N. Main St.

It was the daily breakfast, lunch or dinner spot for many downtown business professionals, area residents and famous patrons such as Paul Newman and Al Unser, according to Ed Petrie, the longtime owner whose parents Clarence and Anita launched the restaurant in 1937. In 1959, the Petries folded a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise into it at the same location, making it the first KFC franchise in Wisconsin.

“My dad met Colonel Sanders at a statewide restaurant association meeting in Milwaukee, and the two became good friends,” Ed Petrie said, noting Sanders came to Fond du Lac several times and his dad visited at Sander’s home in Kentucky.

Petrie’s Restaurant is the local historic landmark etched onto this year’s Fond du Lac Christmas ornament, now for sale throughout the city. It ranks as the 27th ornament in the annual collectible series created each year by the local Soroptimist Chapter.

The pearl-like finish on the beige-colored ornament serves as an elegant backdrop for the attractive brown and tan Bavarian-style building sketched onto it. In fact, in later years it became known as Petrie’s Bavarian Inn.

An undated postcard toted that Petrie's was "Famous for: curing & smoking our own hams, aged steaks, and Col. Sanders' recipe Kentucky Fried Chicken." It also added that organ music was performed daily by Clarence and Anita Petrie, and the restaurant was located conveniently one block north of the Retlaw Hotel.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Ed Petrie)

Although Petrie’s was located at 84 N. Main St. during most of its 63 years in business, Clarence Petrie, at age 23, opened the original restaurant across the street on the northeast corner of Main and Merrill. It was a small 23-seat, all-counter diner that featured 5-cent hamburgers and 10-cent pie a la mode. In 1945, Petrie’s moved across the street and expanded to a 60-seat restaurant built by the Petries.

The business continued to grow, and by 1959, Kentucky Fried Chicken was added to Petrie’s menu and was available in the newly developed take-out area in back of the restaurant.

In 1972, adjacent buildings were purchased to add a cocktail bar and group dining room.

“The extra space led to the need for additional employees,” Petrie said. “We had as many as 150 employees at one time.”

Petrie, who started working at Petrie’s at 14, was named president at 26. He owned the restaurant with his mother, Anita, after his dad died at age 68. Anita remained with the restaurant until it closed in 2000 and passed away at 90.

“She and dad both played the organ for customers in the bar and dining room area,” Petrie said. “Mom continued to play until we closed in 2000. She always said she felt in touch with Dad when she played the organ. She felt like she was with him.”

Eventually, the KFC at the Petrie’s location closed. A second location on Fond du Lac Avenue opened in 1967. Ten years later, in 1977, an additional location opened on Pioneer Road. (It remains open today under different ownership.) In the early 1990s, the KFC at Fond du Lac Avenue closed and reopened on East Johnson Street. In total, the Petrie’s KFC locations were in four different areas of the city. In 2006, they sold the KFC franchise.

While the KFC portion of Petrie’s dining business was known for its fried chicken, Petrie’s was known for their ham, steaks, bountiful buffets and Friday night fish fry.

“Dad smoked and cured his own hams,” Petrie said. “We had a meat cutting room in the basement where we cut the hams, chickens and steaks and ground our own hamburger.”

One of Petrie’s cooks, Arnold Langolf, was hired at 18. After five years in Petrie’s kitchen, he was named manager at Petrie’s Kentucky Fried Chicken store on Fond du Lac Avenue. Ten years later, he transferred to the KFC Pioneer Road location, managing it until retiring in 2004.

“Petrie’s was the launching pad for my career in food service,” Langolf said. “I was with them 42 years.”

Head waitress Jan Urban worked at Petrie’s for 25 years. Now 81, she continues to waitress two days a week at Boda’s Restaurant.

“I love what I do,” Urban said, noting the Petries were excellent to work for. While at Petrie’s, Urban also got her husband a couple of part-time jobs there after he retired. “He started out fixing chairs and tables, and then moved into helping cut meat and bartending.”

The big draw at Petrie’s, according to Urban, was the noon salad bar. “It was very popular and was included with dinners. German food and chicken dumpling soup were also in demand."

One waitress made a big hit with Rick Bode, longtime co-owner of Woods Floral and a regular Petrie’s customer who strolled the half-block walk to lunch there almost daily.

“I met my future wife Ruth there in 1978,” Bode said, noting she was a waitress at Petrie’s. “She was my waitress a lot and we became good friends. We went to the wedding of one of her co-workers for our first date and got married in 1980.”

Menu items he was fond of were the ham and the liver and onions. “I also recall the Petries playing the organ. It added a nice atmosphere.”

Another loyal customer was Carol Beardsley. She recalls going to Petrie’s for breakfast three times a week with her husband, Tom, who had been a pharmacist on Main Street.

“Tom’s mother and dad would visit from Wisconsin Rapids. They loved going there with us,” Beardsley said. “After Tom’s mom died, his dad continued to visit and always wanted to go to Petrie’s. It was our routine. We especially liked their ham and eggs. It was a neat gathering spot for downtown business professionals.”

Today, there is no visible sign that Petrie’s Bavarian Inn ever existed. The building was leveled after it closed in 2000, making way for new businesses to start fresh.

“It’s sad. I miss that place so much,” Urban said. “There are so many fond memories.”

Pictured on the back of an old business card of Edward N. Petrie is Petrie's Bavarian Inn and Kaffee Haus. The card promoted authentic Bavarian atmosphere, finer foods and cocktails in addition to a "Famous Salad Well." The restaurant formerly stood at 84 N. Main St.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Ed Petrie)

Where to buy:

This year’s attractive ornament featuring Petrie’s Restaurant is for sale at various banks and businesses in Fond du Lac through Christmas time. Funds raised from the sale go to the Soroptimist Chapter’s mission of helping women and girls.

“The Petrie’s Restaurant image on this year’s ornament brings back many wonderful memories for area residents,” said Donna Christensen, the chair of the Soroptimist’s ornament committee. “The Soroptimist members are proud to share the memories of each and every historic landmark that is spotlighted on the ornament each year.”

Ed Petrie was pleasantly surprised to hear that his restaurant would grace the ornament. “It’s an honor in memory of my mother and father who started the business,” he said.

A limited supply of past ornaments is also available on the first floor of the Fond du Lac City-County Center. Anyone wishing to donate or sell their ornaments due to downsizing their home can return them to the Soroptimist organization.

“There is quite a demand for past ornaments and for owning the entire set,” Christensen said, noting that one person placed an ad in the local paper last year, looking for the Everix ornament. “That ornament sold out in record time.”

For more information on current or past ornaments, call Donna Christensen at 924-7887.

A special two-day sale featuring past ornaments will take place Dec. 2-3 at Fox Valley Savings Bank during banking hours.

Ornaments in collectible series (1990-2016)

Following is a complete list of all the ornaments in the series. Most ornaments sold were the Beer Hut and Gilles. Requests came from around the country and beyond.